System for inserting partitions in cartons



Dec. 16, 1969 c, HEYNE 3,483,302

SYSTEM FOR INSERTING PARTITIONS IN CARTONS Filed NOV- 6, 1967 3Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 16, c, HEYNE SYSTEM FOR INSERTING PARTITIONS INCARTONS Filed Nov. 6, 1967 Dec. 16, 1969 c. A. HEYNE SYSTEM FORINSERTING PARTITIONS IN CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 6, 19673,483,802 SYSTEM FOR TNSERTDIG PARTITIONS IN CARTUNS Clarence A.ll-lleyue, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc, a corporationof Ohio Filed Nov. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 680,749

Int. Cl. B311) 1/74 US. CI. 93-38 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to method andapparatus for handling assembled partitions and transferring thepartitions to and inserting them within open cartons. More particularly,the invention relates to apparatus for receiving and elevatingpartitions that are moved in succession with the intersecting panelslying in vertical planes, with the elevation of the partitions servingto frictionally engage the partitions with an overhead conveying means.The overhead conveying means will move the partitions into overlyingrelationship with respect to open cartons and the partitions are theninserted within the carton.

It has been the practice in the past to assemble partitions in cartonsby hand with the partitions normally supplied in fiat stacks, with itbeing necessary for the person assembling the partitions in the cartonsto separate a partition from others and to, in effect, expand thepartition into rectangular form and then manually insert the partitioninto the carton.

Present-day machinery is capable of producing assembled partitions;however, for reasons of storage and because of the bulkiness of thepartitions they are normally flattened for storage, this beingaccomplished, as for example, by the mechanism disclosed in CanadianPatent No. 757,838 issued May 2, 1967. In this Canadian patent thepartitions are received in series on a fiat conveyor and are movedsuccessively through a partition-collapsing mechanism and then movedinto a partition-stacking arrangement so that the partitions are stackedpreparatory to being either tied or otherwise bundled for storage ortransporting to a position where they will then be manually insertedwithin cartons.

The present invention has its greatest utility in an operation where thepartitions are assembled and the cartons are made up in the glasscontainer plant.

Both the operations of partition-forming and assembly and carton makingare now frequently carried out at the glass container manufacturingplants since they utilize a great many cartons for packing the wareproduced in the plant and it is more economical to ship carton andpartition blanks to a container plant than produce the cartons at aseparate location.

This invention lends itself to a system of handling partitions from apartition-assembly machine, through a series of manipulations to aposition where they are inserted within cartons that have just been madeup. Both operations may then be closely associated and operated inconcert.

ted States Patent ICC SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention isdirected to a carton-partition assembly system wherein the cartons areconveyed in series, with the closing flaps of the cartons being open,and assembled partitions are conveyed in series with their intersectingpanels lying in vertical planes. The partitions are individually andserially moved from the partition conveyor to a position overlying thecarton conveyor whereat the partitions are inserted within the opencartons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspectiveview of the cartonpartition assembly arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a paper clip used in conjunction with thepartition-transfer mechanism of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the paper clip of FIG. 2.

With reference to the drawings, and in particular FIG. 1, assembledpartitions 10 are moved by a horizontal conveyor 11 moving to the right,as viewed in FIG. 1. It should be understood that the partition formingand assembly machine (not shown) will supply the partitions in theattitude shown to the conveyor 11, with the surface of the conveyorhaving spaced bars 12 fixed thereto serving to advance the partitions atpredetermined spaced-apart intervals.

The partitions are moved from the end of the conveyor 11 onto apartition-orienting and positioning conveyor 13. The conveyor 13 takesthe form of a pair of spaced spools 14 and 15 about which a plurality ofbelts 16 are positioned at spaced intervals, with the spool 15 beingdriven in a clockwise direction by mechanism not shown.

A vertical plate 17 positioned at downstream end of the conveyor 13serves as a physical stop for partitions being moved by the conveyor 13.

Positioned intermediate at least three of the belts 16 of the conveyor13 are strip members 18. The strip members 18 form horizontal surfacesbetween the runs of the belts 16 and each of the strips 18 is providedwith a vertical supporting member 19 connected thereto. The lower endsof the supporting members 19 are joined together by a cross-head 20. Thecross-head 20 is fixed to the piston rod of a reciprocating fluid motor21. The fluid motor 21, when actuated, is adapted to raise the members18 in unison to elevate a partition which is resting on the belts 16 andin engagement with the plate 17. The elevated partitions are adapted toengage with paper clips 22 which are positioned in vertical alignmentabove the partitions and, as shown, are supported by a pair of endlessbelts or chains 23 and 24.

Depending upon whether the members 23 and 24 are belts or chains, theyare supported and driven in their paths of travel by pulley or sprocketmembers 25 and 26. The members 25 and 26, at one end, serve as drivemembers and are coupled together and supported by a horizontal shaft 27,with the shaft 27 serving as the output shaft from an index drivemechanism 28 driven by a motor 29. The motor 29 and index drive 28 areoperated in timed sequence so that the paper clips 22 carried by themembers 23 and 24 will be positioned vertically above the artitions atthe time the partition is raised by the motor 21. In this manner thepartitions are frictionally held by the paper clips 22 and withsubsequent lowering of the elevating members 18, the index drive willoperate to move the depending partition to the left, as viewed in FIG.1.

Through a series of subsequent indexing steps, an individual partitionwill be moved to a point adjacent the opposite ends of the runs of themembers 23 and 24, Where the partition will be vertically above a cartonconveyor 30.

The carton conveyor 30 is essentially a horizontal belt whose surface ismoving generally in a direction parallel to the direction of movement ofthe partition conveyor. Suitable guides 31 and 32 mounted over theconveyor surface are provided to center the carton with respect to theconveyor surface. A motor 33, mounted beside the conveyor 30, has anoutput shaft that is reciprocated into and out of the path of travel ofthe cartons 34 so as to momentarily stop the cartons in the positionshown in FIG. 1.

With the carton stopped in the position shown in FIG. 1, its open topwill be in vertical alignment with and beneath a generally rectangularshaped funnel 35. The funnel 35 has slightly inwardly tapering sidewalls which serve as partition-guiding surfaces to ensure that apartition, being inserted within the carton, will enter the open top ofthe carton without interference.

The partitions are released from the paper clips 22 when the partitionis vertically above the funnel 35 by the operation of a vertical,reciprocating fluid motor 36 having an output shaft 37 connected to across-head 38, The cross-head 38 extends generally parallel to theconveyor 30 and has a plurality of partition-engaging into the areanected thereto, with the fingers extending into the area between thebelts or chains 23 and 24 in the upper position, as shown in FIG. 1. Thefingers 39 are formed with a pair of right angle bends along the lengththereof with the portions of the fingers which overlie and actuallyengage the partition lying in a horizontal plane below the plane of thecross-head 38. The fingers will force the partition out of thefrictionally engaging paper clips 22 and effectively push the partitionthrough the guide funnel 35 into the carton 34 positioned therebeneath.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the details of the paperclips are shown. Each of the clips is formed with a pair of supportingflanges 40 and 41 which may serve as side links of a chain, it beingunderstood that they would be joined together by chain rollers.

The flanges 4G and 41 are bolted to a wide, bent friction finger 42whose lower end is bent outwardly and provided with strengthening websor fillets 43 and 44 so as to render the finger member 42 fairly rigid.

A vertical, downwardly extending member 45, rigidly fixed at its upperend to the flanges 40 and 41, is formed with a pair of forwardlyextending side webs 46 and 47 having openings therein through which apivot shaft 48 extends and is supported. The member 45, as best shown inFIG. 3, extends downwardly and generally parallel to the finger 42. Theshaft 48 pivotally supports a second friction finger 49 whosepartition-engaging surface is in opposed relationship with respect tothe finger 42 and also has its lower end bent outwardly in the oppositedirection to the bend of the finger 42.

A pair of threaded screws 50 and 51 having their heads fixed withrespect to finger 49, extend through openings formed in the member 45.Adjusting nuts 52 and 53 are threaded onto the screws 50 and 51. Each ofthe screws is surrounded by a helical compression spring 54. The springs54 bear at one end against the inner surface of the member 49 and attheir opposite end against the inner surface of the member 45, thusspring-biasing the finger 49 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 3, with theposition of the nuts 52 and 53 determining the at-rest-position of thefinger 49.

When a partition member is moved upwardly into the paper clip, thefinger 42 remains stationary in its position, while the finger 49 isfree to swing about the pivot shaft 48 against the biasing force of thesprings 54. The screws 50 and 51 will move with respect to the member 45and when a partition is moved from the clip, the finger 49 will moveback to the position shown in FIG. 3 and the nuts 52 and 53 will thenabut the outer surface of the member 45. Obviously, the spacing betweenthe fingers 42 and 49 may be adjusted by the nuts 52 and 53. Thisadjustment is advantageous from the standpoint that partition materialmay vary in thickness from time to time depending upon the type ofarticles being separated by the partitions in the carton.

Other and further modifications may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for inserting partitions in cartons comprising, means forconveying assembled partitions tIl series to a transfer loading station,means at said station for elevating the partitions into engagement withtransfer means, said transfer means comprising means for pendantlyreceiving said elevated partitions and for moving said partitions inseries into overlying relationship to successively present open cartonsand means releasing said partitions from said transfer means whereby thepartition falls into the carton.

2. In a carton-partition assembly system wherein the cartons areconveyed in series with the closing flaps open and assembled partitionsare conveyed in series with their intersecting panels lying in verticalplanes, the improvement comprising, indexing means extending between thepartition conveyor and the carton conveyor for transferring partitionsto a position overlying said cartons and means for inserting theassembled partitions into the open cartons in succession.

3. A carton-partition assembly apparatus comprising, in combination afirst conveyor for receiving an assembled partition thereon and formoving the partition into contact with a fixed stop, means for raisingthe partition from said first conveyor, a second conveyor movingparallel to said first conveyor and adapted to move open cartons lIlsuccesion to a loading position opposite said first conveyor, transfermeans extending from above said first conveyor and overlying the secondconveyor at the loading position, said transfer means havingpartition-holding means carried thereby, said raising means beingeffective to engage the partitions with said partition-holding means,drive means connected to said endless members for successively movingthe partitions into overlying relationship with respect to the secondconveyor and vertically reciprocable means extending over the secondconveyor for successively engaging the partitions and inserting thepartitions in the open carton positioned therebeneath.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first conveyor comprises aplurality of spaced-apart, moving surfaces.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said means for raising saidpartitions from said first conveyor comprises a plurality of memberspositioned intermediate said moving surfaces and means connected to saidmembers for raising said members in unison to lift the partition off thefirst conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said transfer means comprises apair of parallel, spaced-apart, endless members extending at rightangles with respect to said first conveyor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said partitionholding meanscomprises plural, spring-biased clips mounted on said endless membersfor gripping partitions that are raised into engagement therewith.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said vertically reciprocable meanscomprises, a fluid piston motor mounted adjacent the second conveyor, aplurality of horizontally extending fingers connected to said motorpiston, said fingers overlying partitions positioned above said secondconveyor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further including a guide mounted over saidsecond conveyor intermediate cartons moved thereunder and partitionspositioned thereover for guiding the partitions into the top of thecartons when the vertically reciprocable means pushes the partitionsdownwardly.

5 10. A method of assembling cartons and partitions comprising, thesteps of conveying assembled partitions in succession to a specificposition, individually elevating the partitions as they arrive at saidposition, holding and moving the elevated partitions horizontally fromsaid position to a loading position, conveying cartons, with open tops,in succession to said loading position beneath held partitions andreleasing and inserting the partitions into the open-topped cartons.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,894,433 7/1959 Peters et a19338 3,350,836 11/1967 Dillon et a1 9337 XR BERNARD STICKNEY, PrimaryExaminer US. Cl. X.R.

mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.j5,83,802 D t d December 16, 1969 Inventor(s) Clarence A Heyne It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that:said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- Column 3, lines 23 and 2 4, delete "into the area nected thereto" andinsert therefor El1'1 ;ere 39 connected thereto-- SIGNED AND SEALED MAY1 21970 (SEAL) Atteat:

Edward member WILLIAM E. 'S-CIHUYLER, JR. Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

